I actually shot this on August 14, the day I got back from vacation, which explains why I’m a bit rusty in the video.

This is a new brewery in Birmingham, AL, that doesn’t bottle at all yet. I’ve had this beer a couple of times when I was down south, but haven’t bothered to review it until now. A shop called Liquor Express in Huntsville, AL, has draft beer to-go sold in plastic milk jugs, which is the format for this review.

Is it a bit hyperbolic to call this beer better than Hopslam? Probably, but it’s still a pretty impressive beer. (Keep in mind I’m not really a huge fan of Hopslam.)

I’m in the midst of a bunch of review projects and besides that I’ve already done a video review of Bell’s Oracle (an aged and a fresh bottle vertical, no less!) but when the newest batch came out I figured it was worth doing a quick text review.

Plus, check out that batch number (with date)! I’m drinking this bottle about five days old. Which makes this pretty much a must-buy for me.

Pours dark orange, very transparent, with a fair amount of carbonation coming from the bottom of the glass and a thick white head. Head dissipates fairly quickly, but leaves significant lacing. Aroma is mostly pine, very verdant almost like a Christmas tree (which gives me a homebrew idea: a big piney black IPA with Christmas spices marketed as a winter warmer). Some hints of grapefruit and pineapple but buried deep. Hints of sweet malt.

Taste is much more heavy on the grapefruit, with a nice bitter abrasive finish and a very dry aftertaste. Tons of bittering hops in this one, but with a nice flavor addition towards the end. The alcohol is ridiculously well hidden. As the beer warms the grapefruit sweetness becomes more prominent, almost sticky.

I’ve long been of the opinion that this is better than Hopslam, and getting a super-fresh bottle just makes me more certain of it. I’m absolutely looking forward to drinking the other five bottles very soon.

This one almost made it in as part of Viewer Request Month. Fellow BGNer Peter long ago requested that I do more Danish craft beers, but we don’t get any in my area. When I took a trip up to Grand Rapids, I picked up this Imperial IPA.

Anyway, it’s called an Imperial IPA on the label. But based on how long it had been sitting on the shelf, I was guessing it was more of a strong barleywine by now. Tasting the beer, it turns out I was right. Which made for an interesting (if a bit long) review, as I’m trying to process it both as an “aged DIPA” and as a new barleywine.

Either way, I gave it a rating. It’s a pretty solid beer, so long as you don’t consider the Imperial IPA label.